First Ten Years
by loneguppy
Summary: Olivia adjusts to life on the Other Side. A loose prequel to "The Promise". While we are there, meet with familiar faces and expect the unexpected.
1. Released

**Summary: Olivia adjusts to life on the Other Side. Prequel to "The Promise".**

The very first time Olivia Dunham saw the Walter Bishop from this side, he stood on the opposite side of the glass, simply gloating. He had a grin on his face, that told her he was proud of what he did. She was angry, angry because she thought Walter was playing a cruel game with her. What she didn't realize at that moment was that she did not make it home and that this was not the Walter she knew. She pleaded. She begged. She yelled out until her voice was too hoarse to be heard anymore. Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears. This Walter Bishop delighted in seeing her distressed.

Left alone in the dark, Olivia cried. She cried until the tears stung her eyes. She cried because she was afraid. As much as she was afraid of her situation, she was afraid to show her fear in front of _him. _She learned to listen for his footfalls. When she knew someone was coming, she would assume a defiant stance on her side of the glass, hoping it will intimidate whoever was on the other side, and send them a message that she was unbreakable. Little good it did when they finally came for her.

Olivia remembered the first time they took her. They took her blood. She recalled the horror of having every one of her orifices examined. Very often she was sick to her stomach. She believed they purposely infected her with disease to make her suffer. On one such occasion, when she was shaking with fever on her hard bench, she remembered seeing the Broyles from this side. She couldn't be sure, but Olivia thought she saw Broyles arguing with Walter.

Then the day came when this Walter spoke to her. The men who came for her this time didn't drag her out. They didn't need to shackle her. She just walked out of her own accord. Even that was difficult. After a month in cramp quarters, with little to nothing to do except stand or sit, she was having trouble standing up straight. "Agent Dunham, walk with me." The thought of being able to walk out freely, made it easy for Olivia to go along with him willingly. For the first time, she saw where she was being held. They stopped on a crossover overlooking the ground floor.

"We are in a medical facility, where victims of fringe events are being treated. Most do recover." Olivia could see the patients walking all around them. "For the unlucky few, we try to make them as comfortable as possible before the end. This is just one of the many facilities we operate all over the world."

They continue their walk down a corridor. Olivia considered his words and dared to ask a question. "What about me?"

Walter didn't say anything until they stopped outside a set of double glass doors. He turned to Olivia before he spoke. "I know of your ability. I know what makes you special. I no more want my world to fall apart nor do I want to destroy yours. If crossing over is in fact what caused the fabric of our universe to tear, all I ask is that you consider staying. I would ask the same of my son even if it meant not seeing him again. The choice is yours."

At the mention of Peter, she thought about never seeing him, Rachel or Ella again. But she wanted assurance that they would be safe.

"Peter will be safe."

"Yes. Peter will be safe."

Olivia still didn't know how far to trust him, but she could see a sincerity in his eyes. He honestly believes what he is telling her. That would have to be enough for now.

"I'll do it. I will stay." The Secretary let a small smile creep across his face.

"Excellent." He jabbed a control on the wall and the glass doors opened. A woman waited on the inside. "Go with Dr. Seymour, she will see to it you are given a full check up and inoculations." Olivia followed the woman in with caution. "By tomorrow this time, I will personally escort you to your new home."

As promised Walter Bishop came to pick up Olivia. She climbed into the back of his sedan. She listened quietly while he talked. "I took the liberty of making your living arrangements. You'll have to be quarantine for the next 21 days...because of the inoculations. I've already notified your host of your needs. You'll find her to be a most formidable woman."

It was a short drive from the city. The property was situated just outside of town. Twenty minutes later, the car parked in front of a two-storey farmhouse. A woman in her mid-fifties waited on the porch. Olivia recognized her immediately. She was the woman in her double's photograph. This was Olivia Dunham's mother. Her mother. She looked to Walter for an explanation.

"She has high security clearance." That was reason enough for him. Seeing that Olivia hesitated, Walter nudged her forward. "Go on. You are in good hands."

"Hello, Ellen."

"Walter."

Olivia walked up the steps slowly. Once at the top, Ellen Dunham held opened the screen door for her. She smiled shyly at her new mother. "Hello..." The older woman nodded in reply.

"Come on in. Make yourself comfortable." Olivia stepped over the threshold. Before closing the door behind her, Ellen signaled to Walter that it was OK for him to leave.

Mother Dunham set the tea service, a ceramic teapot and two matching cups, down on the coffee table. She found Olivia looking out the living room window. "You live here all by yourself?"

"Yes." Taking Olivia by the hand, she pulled her back to the sofa. "Come. Tea is getting cold." They settled into a companionable silence. Ellen poured the tea. "What were you thinking about by the window?"

"I was thinking about my own mother." Olivia became introspective. "I wondered if she had lived, would she have turned out liked you."

Ellen gave her hand a light squeeze. Touched by the sentiment, she was somewhat disarmed by this woman, who only yesterday was just an assignment for her. Looking at her now, she began to see something more to her. She could feel her tense up by the touch. Whatever happened to her, it will take time for her to gradually give over to trust in another.

To break the ice, Ellen thought to let Olivia help her with dinner. She saw how Olivia relished every moment of their interaction, while tension still hung over her.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Olivia said maybe a bit too loudly. She stiffened over the broken plate.

"It's OK, Olivia. It's OK. It's only a dish." Ellen took her into her arms. She didn't know how else to begin to take away all her anxieties.

There would be progress on their first night in the house together. "This is your bedroom." Olivia walked into the room. She turned around to take in her surroundings. It was spacious, warm and a bit spartan. There were no drapes to obscure the windows. "Your clothes are in the closet. If you need anything, I'll be down the hall."

Ellen curled up in bed with a book. She hadn't finished reading a page, when she heard a knocking. She looked up and saw Olivia standing rigidly in the doorway. "Can't sleep?" She nodded. "Come on."

Ellen pulled back the covers to make room for her. Olivia laid her head near Ellen. "I'm scared..." That was the first time she opened up without much prompting.

"Mom. You can call me Mom." Ellen laid down and started to stroke her soft hair. "What can I do to help?"

"My mother used to sing to me." Ellen laughed.

"I can't sing, my dear. I can't even carry a tune."

"Please!" Olivia's eyelids were getting heavy.

"Well. OK. How about you just listening to the sound of my voice then?" Ellen heard a bird call outside the open windows. "Did you hear that? It sounded like a whippoorwill. That to me is a good omen." She looked down. Olivia was already sound asleep. She gently kissed her forehead. "Goodnight love."


	2. Crossroads

_My mother used to sing to me. _  
_Well. How about just listening to the sound of my voice then?_

**OLIVIA'S JOURNEY**

Olivia had been going stir crazy, pent up in the house for three agonizingly long weeks. Her _mother_ suggested she should go out for morning runs through the woods. She told her it would help focus her mind on the present. She was right. Olivia has been running for an hour and a half. Broyles was coming over to the house to assess her for new assignment. She knew she would be late, when she left for her run, but that didn't stop her from going. She owed him a thank you. It was the colonel who had petitioned for her freedom. He was also coming to give her a choice. Because right now she didn't know if she wanted to enlist in the Fringe Division over here.

Olivia rested for a moment to catch her breath. Wanting to shake out the pebbles in her shoe, she braced herself on a tree for support.

"Ow!" Reflexively she pulled her hand away. It hurt. She began to rub at the heel of the palm vigorously. Wiping the sweat from her face, she headed back on the trail home.

Broyles was already waiting with Ellen in the kitchen, by the time she got back. Ellen grew worried looking at Olivia. "You look a little flushed." Olivia gave her a peck on the cheek. "You feeling alright?"

"Yeah Mom." Olivia turned to Broyles. "Sir, just let me shower real quick and we can carry on with my assessment, OK?" Broyles nodded.

No sooner had Olivia left the kitchen, each step she took became heavier. She started to feel a shortness of breath. Then at the bottom of the staircase landing, the dizziness was so overwhelming, that she crumpled to the ground.

From the corner of her eye, Ellen could see Olivia fall.

"Olivia!"

Broyles took action immediately. He barked into his cuff communicator. "This is Broyles. I need a medical team at the Dunham residence. Stat."

**PETER & OLIVIA: OLIVIA COMES CLEAN**

Life was back to normal here. There were no impending threats, at least for the time being. Nothing out of the ordinary happened for the next little while. Walter went about his experiments, more or less without his help. Yet things did not go back to the way it had been before, when they returned from the other side. How could they? Peter Bishop was not the man he once was. Although he decided that he did return with a renewed purpose; to prevent a war, which would ultimately cause destruction of both worlds. There was a reason for the existence of these universes, a reason he had yet to discern.

There was also the unresolved issue of _the kiss_ in New York City. He had wanted to see Olivia Dunham again, hopefully soon, but she has made herself scarce. As luck would have it, she showed up at the lab one day looking for him.

~x~

ABORT MISSION.

That was the reply to Olivia Dunham's request, awaiting orders. The next order was a little unexpected.

GET PETER IN HERE.

There was no easy way to explain this one to Peter Bishop. Maybe she wouldn't have to.

~x~

Olivia didn't look too happy at the moment. Peter could tell something was bothering her. Before she said a word, her cell phone rang.

"Dunham." Her expression looked grim.

"Astrid and Walter has been in a car accident."

Right now it's just got a little harder pretending to be someone else.

"Tell me where I can find Walter Bishop...Yes, I'm his son."

Peter hoped Olivia was having better luck locating Astrid than he did Walter.

"Farnsworth. F-A-R-N-S-W-O-R-T-H...Thank you."

Olivia pulled him aside. "Astrid is in recovery. No visitors allowed yet. I also found out Walter is still in surgery. We are just goin' to have to wait.

Peter thanked Olivia for the coffee. He found himself staring at her for the last four hours.

"You are not _her_." Olivia knew which _her_ he was referring to.

"How long have you known?"

"Just now."

"Well. I am not tryin' hard to pretend right now."

"Was it my _father_'s idea?" Olivia nodded.

"Peter. Do you trust me?" Peter looked at her questioningly.

As soon as they left the hospital, Olivia lead Peter to a ratty old typewriter repair shop. After she asked the store owner for a key, they headed to a dingy looking room in the back of shop. The typewriter there started typing on its own.

HELLO SON.

OK. That was a little creepy. "This is how we communicate with the other side." Olivia explained. "Go ahead. Type your question."

CAN YOU SWITCH THEM BACK?

NO. NOT WITHOUT USING TELEPORTER.

TOO DANGEROUS.

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO FIND A WAY?

YEARS. DECADES. MAYBE NOT IN OUR LIFETIME.

CAN YOU VOUCH FOR HER SAFETY?

YES.

Olivia couldn't tell what Peter was thinking. Judging by his expression, he seemed to have conceded in defeat. Eventually, he turned to face her.

"Are you going to tell Broyles?" He gave her a surprised look.

"This is too big to sweep under a rug. You know how it is? Well maybe you don't." This annoyed Olivia.

"Is that sarcasm, Peter Bishop? If it is, it doesn't suit you."

"You don't even know me. Anyways I think he'll want to know there is a rogue agent in his camp."

"Then you should let him know I am co-operating."

"I'm sure that will really help your case." More sarcasm.

At first Broyles thought Peter and Olivia were pulling his leg. When he saw neither of them crack a smile, he knew what Peter Bishop told him was in fact true. The Dunham in front of him was from the other side. He became deadly serious and would have liked to blame Astrid and Walter's accident on her too had she not received the bad news at the same time he did.

Peter spoke in her defense. "I'd listen to what she has to say." Broyles eyed Olivia suspiciously.

"I bet you have plenty of valuable insights in the cases we are dealing with." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Are you willing to take a back seat to an investigation and just be a consultant?" Olivia weighed his words carefully and nodded in agreement.

"It beats having to go to jail." Broyles was satisfied with her response.

"I'll make a note in your permanent record and continue to extend you the same privileges." He punctuated for emphasis. "But Peter will be in charge. Do you understand?" She nodded.

At this point, Peter interjected to break up the tension. "Can we at least keep the gun? I feel better if we have a gun." Broyles gave Peter a look. _Don't be smart mister._

"You can keep the gun."

As if she anticipated his next question, Olivia spoke up. "I am not going to runaway."

Peter left Broyles office with Olivia trailing behind him.

"What are we going to tell Rachel?" He hadn't thought about it before. She got a point.

"Nothing...Just don't volunteer any information that might seem suspicious."

Together they rode the elevator down in silence.

**I know how I will want to proceed. Here is the plan. I'm going to show key milestones in their lives up to the and including the events in my story "The Promise".**  
**Peter and Olivia will have to reunite in the end still.**  
**For my sake, I will use Olivia in referring to either of them. Don't worry. You will still be able to tell which one it is.**


	3. Trial & Tribulation

_Is that sarcasm, Peter Bishop? If it is, it doesn't suit you.  
__You don't even know me. [__Touché!]_

**OLIVIA LIVES**

Broyles finished giving the directions to the medical personnel and joined Ellen on the ground. "She's coming around." They both heard a soft groan. "Upstairs." Olivia was so small compared to him, Broyles didn't have any trouble carrying her up.

Once they laid her on the bed, they began to do a cursory examination for any signs of injury. Broyles saw it first. "Is that what I think it is?" An insect had latched onto the palm of Olivia's hand.

Ellen, who was checking Olivia's temperature, took a closer look. "Damn it. It's a Long Island tick." The look on her face was a grave one. "We can't wait for the medics. Philip, you're gonna have to remove it."

"Me. I've never performed field surgery before."

"You have to or she'll die." Broyles looked over at Olivia; he had never seen anyone this dangerously ill.

"Alright. I'll do it."

Ellen was halfway to the bathroom already. "I'll get the tweezers."

"Better bring me a pair of pliers too. Never seen one so big before."

Before Olivia was even fully alert, she became aware of pain, an intense pain in her hand. It felt as if it was on fire. Someone was holding her; her mother. She was also holding her hand out for someone to cut open. It was a wise move. If she had any fight in her, Olivia would have used it to backhand whoever it was who was hurting her. She gritted her teeth.

"Don't damage it. Remove it whole." Broyles was nervous enough holding a scalpel without the added pressure coming from Ellen Dunham.

"I got it." Broyles took the wriggling bug and tossed in the antiseptic container and quickly closed the lid on it. He leaned back and exhaled the breath he had been holding.

When the med team finally arrived, Broyles was only too happy to let them take over. "She's all yours fellas."

Ellen hadn't let go of her once, not even when the medics were patching up her wound. "Baby, you're gonna be OK." She kept saying more for her benefit than for Olivia, who was very much out of it by now.

Broyles closed the front door as soon as the last of the med team left. He returned to the bedroom to find Ellen still hovering over Olivia, placing her bandaged hand on a pillow, brushing stray strands of hair from her face. "You should get some rest. The antibiotics will keep her asleep until morning."

"I know...It's just...It was like this when my husband died."

"This happened before?"

"Yes. But I didn't get to say goodbye then...Let me know if anything changes." Broyles nodded as Ellen went off to her own room.

Olivia heard footsteps coming and going. When she finally came to, she saw Broyles standing over her. He had just placed a glass of water on her night stand.

"You were very lucky, young lady."

She gave him a weak smile.

"Could it have been any worse?"

He glared at her mockingly.

"More than you would ever know."

She noticed that he was writing in his notebook.

"Is this part of my evaluation?"

"No. I'd consider it a lesson learned though." He paused a moment before continuing. "I thought that you could just fit in with us, but it never occurred to me that you were an outsider...What you know about us, about this environment mounts to nothing. Which is why I'm recommending you take survival training for a week."

"A week?"

"As soon as you are able, I want you to report to Quantico. Your instructor is one of the best."

Olivia shook her head in amusement. "Where's my mother?"

"She's been worried sick about you. I was finally able to convince her to get some rest."

"Thank you. She does a lot for me already."

"That kinda goes with her territory."

Ellen overheard part of their conversation, when she walked into Olivia's room.

"Thanks for your help, Philip." Broyles took that as his cue to leave.

"I'm sorry if I made you worry." Ellen shook her head.

"Philip is right ya know. It doesn't matter if you are not mine, I will always worry about you."

Ellen sat down on the edge of her bed and propped up a pillow so Olivia could sit up properly. Her smile was gentle and full of warmth.

"Did you not know your father very well?" She paused to watch Olivia's expression change. "I read it in your profile."

Olivia shook her head. "My dad died when I was little. I only have a vague memory of him."

Ellen took out from her pocket a photo of a man in military attire. "Did he look something like this?" The man in the photo was an older and distinguished gentleman. Olivia had a mental image of her father holding her and imagined what this man would have looked like as a young man.

"Dad..." Olivia wiped a tear from her eye. "Tell me about him." Ellen was only too happy to do so.

**OLIVIA'S TRIAL**

After Astrid recovered from the accident, she took off for a month on a long overdue vacation. That left Peter to take care of invalid Walter on a full-time basis. Although wheelchair bound, Walter still wanted to spend much of his time in the lab. To Peter's relief, Olivia volunteered to help out at the lab, so it would free up his time to run errands for Walter.

Peter and Olivia agreed to keep her secret between the two of them. So they didn't tell either Astrid or Walter. However Walter was a perceptive man. He tended to notice everything.

As the days wore on, he saw the way they looked at each other. Peter was not unfriendly with Olivia, but Walter could detect a void seemed to have formed between them. He needed proof though to support his theory. To this end he devised some tasks for Olivia, the goal of which is to get a reaction from her. He was sure she would slip up enough to satisfy his curiosity.

The first test was to organize all the specimens in the lab alphabetically, something even Astrid was too disgusted by and refused outright to do. Not Olivia. She was up to the task at hand. Olivia learned all the names down to the class and even categorized them by vertebrae and in-vertebrae.

Olivia was mentally making a list of all the strange things the other Olivia Dunham wouldn't do for Walter Bishop. Milking Gene was probably one of them. But that Olivia wasn't here. There could be worse things, she told herself.

When Peter came back to the lab, Walter was already on his way out to lunch.

"Hey Walter. Where's Olivia?"

"I'm not sure. The last I saw of her was in Gene's stall."

"Olivia?" He found her sitting in the corner of the cow's stall alright. She was cradling her right arm, while holding a gun with her left hand. "What happened to you?"

"I...was trying to milk the _cow_." Any sudden movements made her wince. "It's nothing...Just a minor fracture."

"Sorry about that." He extended a hand to help her stand. "What were you planning to do with that gun? Shoot Gene?"

"Oh I dunno. For a moment I was seriously considering taking out the lights and play hide-and-seek with your father." This got Peter to crack a smile despite the situation.

"Come on. I'll drive you back to your place."

Impressed yet perturbed, Walter put forth even more challenges, all of which didn't faze Olivia one bit. All of this did feed into Walter's paranoia that something was uncouth. As much as he dreaded to, he needed to find someone who can help him.

Olivia answered the knocking at her door. The last person she expected to see was standing at her doorstep.

"Nina Sharp. What are you doing here?"

"Olivia, it's come to my attention that you and Peter are hiding something big. I know what that is. I just want to offer you my services. May I come in?"

* * *

**I would have posted much sooner. I was working on the second part when a power outage interrupted my internet access. TIP of the day: Remember to always have a copy on my desktop just in case.**

**Don't be upset with the cliffhanger. It may still take a week to write, but I already have an idea for the next chapter.**


	4. What Comes Next

_Olivia was mentally making a list of all the strange things the other Olivia Dunham wouldn't do  
...Milking Gene was probably one of them._

**OLIVIA'S SECRET**

Nina moved about the apartment looking at everything in it with interest. She only turned around to Olivia when she had brought the tea.

"Does Peter know you are here?"

She picked up a family portrait and put it down again. "Your sister doesn't know yet." More a statement than a question. This was beginning to annoy Olivia. She didn't like it when someone else had the upper hand.

"Know what?"

Nina sat down on the sofa before continuing. "You are not who you claim to be." She sips the tea.

"How did you...?"

"I have my sources." She takes another sip of tea.

"More tea?" Olivia poured her another cup.

"Don't worry though. Your secret is safe with me."

Olivia picked up on her line of thought. "What is it you want from me?"

_Smart girl._ "Just tell me one thing." Nina spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "Do you want to go home again?"

Olivia nodded.

"That's all I need to know." With that she stood up and got ready to make an exit. "Thank you for the tea."

~x~

**OLIVIA & CHARLIE: TRAINING DAZE**

The ride to Quantico was long and uneventful. It did give Olivia time to read up the latest periodicals on surviving this side of the universe. She figured typical survival guides were probably being rewritten by the day. But she was having a hard time concentrating on the words on the pages. That's right. She still preferred handling paper over anything electronic. Besides she was being tested for her preparedness. Where she thinks she was going, she was better off sticking to the basics.

Olivia spent the rest of the way to the FBI training grounds mentally psyching herself. The closer she got to her destination though, a nervousness started to build up inside of her to the point where she was beginning to massage her hand again. This time she could feel the scar from two weeks ago. Despite the medicine, it didn't completely heel. Perhaps it had to do with her somewhat different physiology. Whatever the case, she didn't really want it to. Deep down, she was wishing for reminders of everything that happened to her over here.

Once Olivia was dropped off at the entrance, she was permitted through the gates without inspection. Even without proper identification, her or rather the other Olivia's credentials were good. The guard had issued her a visitor pass and directed her to where she needed to go. It wasn't that far. She was headed towards the track.

That's when she saw him standing there. Acting all smug, with his sunglasses on. Judging by the turn of his head, she knew he could see her walk over, but he pretended to ignore her. She stopped a few feet away from him before saying anything.

"Charlie Francis. _You_ are my instructor?" She chuckles.

"Something funny, Dunham?"

Olivia cleared her throat.

"Sorry sir. Reporting for training."

_Sir_. Charlie winced audibly. He sauntered over to her side and leaned in so he could whisper in her ear. "We're not in the military, drop the formalities. 'Kay?." In a louder tone of voice, he bellowed, "Okay. Let's get started. Drop your gear and do a round of laps." He gestured with his finger. Olivia made way for the asphalt and started running. "And don't stop until I say so." He yelled out.

After about two circuits around the track, Olivia, now exhausted, was beginning to slow down in pace. "What did I say about stopping?"

To hell with it. He wasn't even timing her. Why was she running a marathon? So after slowing to a walk some distance ahead, she refused to take another step. She was bone tired. Olivia bent over and placed a hand over each knee. From down there, she tilted her head up to see Charlie approaching her.

Straightening up again, Olivia brushed away loose strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "Is there some point to this exercise?" She said between breaths.

"_That_ exercise was part of your endurance evaluation." She stared back apologetically, when he paused. "Look. It is getting late. Report back here at oh six hundred. We have an early start tomorrow morning." Charlie led the way to the nearest barracks.

The true test was to see how long she can manage with little resources. Charlie let her carry one backpack and a blanket. So when they were about to embark on their trek into the wilderness, Olivia wasn't sure she was prepared for anything. She had never been camping before.

On the first night, after a long days hike, they set up camp in a clearing. Charlie went into detail about what not to eat.

"...You can't just eat everything you find.

"Mushrooms...all of them poisonous.

"Trees...Vegetation...they've all but mutated to survive in this environment." He picked a few blades of grass for emphasis.

Charlie took out a couple of protein bars from his bag and tossed one to Olivia. "Fiber is your friend." He took a bite out of his.

The next day, they walked along a river. They were traveling on higher ground, when Charlie stood over the edge and spotted something in the water. He was about to point it out to Olivia when he slipped and fell in with a splash.

"Charlie!"

Olivia looked down without getting too close to the edge. She could see the current wasn't too strong, and Charlie was able to swim ashore further down stream. She managed to make her way down to help him out.

Charlie took her proffered hand. "Thanks."

He had lost his backpack in the river and was soaked to the bone. Olivia quickly gathered kindling for a fire and set up camp under an outcropping of rocks. She let Charlie use the blanket while his clothes was drying. He eventually dozed off from exhaustion. He was so out of it, he didn't even hear the loud clap of thunder.

Olivia's first concern was the fire. It was really coming down when she went to gather enough moss to keep the fire from extinguishing. She was drenched by the time she was satisfied that the fire would not go out. Cold and wet, she crawled back into their makeshift shelter and curled up next to Charlie.

Charlie stirred just as the rain stopped. Aside from the sound of water dripping, there was another noise coming from behind him. He turned to see Olivia. She was shaking like a leaf. That noise he heard was her teeth chattering.

"Hey! You OK?" Pretty stupid question Charlie.

When Olivia didn't respond, Charlie shifted over and pulled her closer to him, then tugged on the blanket to cover her as well. He was relieved when her trembling subsided a bit.

Olivia was barely awake when she noticed she was in Charlie's arms. He in turn could hear her start to say something. He rubbed her warm with his hands.

"Sorry...Sorry about before."

"What? You mean when you cold-cocked me?" He looked at her face. Charlie saw a smile flicker across her features. "I deserved it. I let you blind side me. Trust me. It won't happen again." He adjusted the blanket around her more.

When it became quiet again, Olivia watched Charlie's expression. He seemed to have a far away look. "You are thinking about someone. Who is she?"

"Hmm? My fiancée...Sonia."

Olivia smiled and gave him a hug under the blanket. He is so much like her Charlie.

"When are you going to give Broyles the bad news?" She looked at him in surprise. "Mrs. D. told me everything...She tells me everything when I was partnered with Liv...She just wanted me to look out for you."

"I...I'm gonna tell him when we get back." Olivia said with a renewed sense of purpose.


	5. On Her Birthday

_"I am going for a week, not until the end of time." _

**What ****about**** Frank Stanton? How would he react to his lover's absence? What would he do if he were to **_**bump into**_** our Olivia?**

"She's gone, Frank."

"Where did she go? ...Damn it! Tell me!"

Just like that...Olivia was gone. There was no word; not so much as a note saying where she went, no one to wait for him when he came home. That was a year ago. It was the last time they were intimate. It was also the last time he had made her dinner. Did she even have his casserole before she left?

YEAR TWO

Frank Stanton took a marker and crossed off another date on the calendar. It had been over a year since Olivia had gone missing; to him, she simply vanished from this existence. A day doesn't go by where he doesn't think about her. It was not as if she had died. At least that would have provided closure. She just left. Maybe that's why he found it so hard to move on with his life. At least he could still focus on his work. Right now it became hard to do anything because of the commotion happening outside his window.

It looked like a war zone out there. Soon his whole building had to be evacuated by law enforcement agencies ranging from NYPD to SWAT to DHS. He made his way down the stairwell down 40 flights of steps, while the automatic evac messages announced all the possible exits, in a calm and controlled female voice.

Frank had little to do except to stand on the sidewalk and watch the scene unfold along with everyone else. He watched the emergency vehicles of all sorts arrive on site. He watched the law enforcement personnel moved about in a mechanical fashion, ready to attack the enemy whoever they were this time. And then he saw her; the woman who had gotten out of a police cruiser. She seemed to be a person of some authority, perhaps a detective or captain even. At first he only saw the back of her head. But the moment she turned to address another officer, there was no mistake; it was Olivia. She was a blond now, but it was definitely Liv.

"Olivia!" He couldn't resist the urge to say her name out loud. She heard him for she turned her head at the mention of her name. Seeing her face again made Frank's heart skip a beat. If he could, he would have jumped the pedestrian barrier and run over and take her in his arms and never let go.

"Sergeant, let's keep these people a safe distance away."

"Yes ma'am"

Olivia Dunham turned her attention back to the other agents on scene.

"Agent Francis. Agent Lee."

"Agent Dunham." The men said it in unison, which made Olivia chuckle.

"Well. What's Fringe Division doing out here anyways? When I got off the horn. I thought this was just a terrorist situation."

While Lincoln and Olivia compared notes on the case, Charlie Francis, always the professional, started to scan the gathering thong, at the scene, on the lookout for anyone of suspect. He turned to Lincoln once he had something to report. "Hey Boss. Behind me."

Agent Lee spotted whoever Charlie was referring to. "Frank..." He let out a barely audible curse. "I'll go talk to him." Without another word, he made his way towards the crowd. Frank agreed to speak with Lincoln in private. He seemed quite agitated.

"She's back." He was hissing. "She's back...You knew...and you didn't tell me! Why?"

"Frank...It's not how it seems." Lincoln put a hand on Frank's shoulder. "She is not the same Olivia."

"What? What you are saying doesn't make any sense."

"The Olivia you see here doesn't know you."

"Linc, it's her. I know it is. She's Liv and I'll prove it."

He pulled away from Lincoln's grasp trying to get another glimpse of her.

"Frank..." Lincoln Lee knew his friend well enough. He just hoped that he wouldn't do anything to put him in a difficult situation.

Olivia couldn't help but notice Lincoln's heated exchange with the other man. "What's going on Charlie?"

"Nothing you need to worry about Liv." She could tell he was deflecting but didn't pursue the matter.

"I'm heading back to the precinct."

"See you later tonight." He called back.

"I wouldn't miss it."

"You better not. You're the guest of honor."

Olivia gave him a shy smile before leaving. She could hear him wish her a happy birthday. She kept on smiling, because she never really had a reason to celebrate her birthday until now.

~x~

Olivia was still reveling over the good time she had at the party tonight. She turned towards her usual route home. Up until now, the drive home was uneventful. She wasn't one hundred percent sure, but she thought a car was following her. She was distracted momentarily by the pair of headlights in the review mirror so she didn't see the bend up ahead. As soon as her attention was back on the road again, Olivia had to swerve to avoid colliding with the rocky wall in her path, in so doing she lost control of her vehicle.

Frank, who was in the car right behind her, saw Olivia's car careen off the road and fall into a ditch.

"Olivia! No!"

He lurched to a stop and practically flew to her side. To his relief, she was OK, a bit dazed but unharmed. He undid her seat belt and eased her out of the driver side.

"Who are you?" He heard her slur.

"I'm a doctor. You're going to be OK." Frank still wondered why there wasn't even a glimmer of recognition. He helped her the rest of the way to his car. Now that he's got Olivia, he wasn't going to let her go that easily. He may be taking advantage of her situation, but he needed answers. He needed to know what happened to Olivia. "You are going to be OK." He repeated, but she was already oblivious to everything around her.

Frank turned on the lights in his examination suite with his free hand. He lowered Olivia onto the exam bed. He drank in her scent. He believed it was her deodorant; it smelled like vanilla. It wasn't what she usually wears. He rifled through all the cabinets. He grabbed bandages, cotton swabs, peroxide, antiseptic wash, latex gloves, and a bottle of anesthetic ether for good measure, then deposited his find on a rolling tray. Olivia had a nasty cut above her eyebrow, which he proceeded to treat. Then he waited for her to wake up.

~x~

There were two sets of screech marks on the road. Charlie Francis looked in one direction and then the other direction of the desolate road. _Where are you Liv?_ He had an idea who may have taken her. "This is Francis. Get me the address of Dr. Frank Stanton's private clinic."

~x~

Just underneath her subconscious, there was an annoying hum. That was her first indication that she was waking up. _What happened? Right. Car rolled into a ditch. Just brilliant Olivia._

Olivia looked up through half-lidded eyes. It was too bright to open her eyes any more than that. _What was this place? It certainly didn't smell like a hospital. _The second thing she noticed was that she couldn't lift up her head.

"How are you feeling?" Olivia turned her head gingerly towards the sound of the voice. It was the man who helped her out of the wreck. She remembered he said he was a doctor. His eyes twinkled when he smiled.

"I can't seem to move my neck." He probed her neck until she winced.

"Looks like you strained a muscle. You should be fine after a few days rest."

When she thanked him, Frank laughed at the formality. "Heh...Liv...It's me babe...Frank...Don't you remember?"

She shook her head no. "Should I?"

"I'm you husband." He was near tears.

She pursed her lips before continuing. "Look...Frank...I'm sorry. I'm not who you think I am."

After a moment of silence, Frank's face brightened. "Olivia. I need to turn you over. It's gonna hurt so I'm really sorry to have to do this to you." He dabbed a piece of cloth with the ether.

"No no. Wait. Please don't." Frank ignored her protests and held the cloth over her face, waiting for the anesthesia to do its work.

~x~

When Charlie stormed into the exam room with his gun drawn, he saw Frank sitting in a corner, with his face buried in his hands. He was dejected. Olivia was lying unconscious on the bed.

Charlie checked her vitals. "What did you do to her?" He could smell a faint odor of anesthesia.

"Why? ...Why couldn't it be her?" That was all Frank said. He was starting to whimper too. He felt sorry for the guy.

Charlie started to ease Olivia off the bed. Frank suddenly just registered what he was doing. He wiped the tears from his eyes. "Be careful." He began. "She pulled her trapezius during the accident. I'm afraid that was my fault."

~x~

Charlie watched as Olivia came out of emergency. She walked ever so slowly over to the nurses station to sign the release forms. He noticed that she was wearing a shoulder bandage to keep it in place.

"Sorry I didn't tell you about Frank." Hearing Charlie talk gave her an image of the other Olivia leaving behind a trail of broken hearts. "Do you want to press charges?"

_Huh?_ She just realized Charlie was asking her a question. "No. No. He didn't really hurt me."

"Right...I'll drive you home then."

"It's OK. I called Ellen to let her know I was alright. She's on the way here right now."

As if on cue, Mrs. Dunham walked into the emergency room entrance, looking around for Olivia. Her mother was concerned but knew better than to show a public display of emotion and opted only to stroke her arm gently before ushering her out to the car.

During the drive home, Olivia quietly reflected on recent events. She couldn't stop thinking about Frank.

"Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"Tell me about Frank."

**CLOSURE**

At Fringe Division Headquarters, Olivia looked up from her computer screen and noticed Peter Bishop approaching her desk.

"Hey."

"Hey. You were looking for me?"

"Yep."

Peter smiled in amusement. She looked like the cat that caught the canary. "Did you find something already?"

She turned her screen for him to see. "Apparently, he's been dead for 10 years. A guy like that just doesn't disappear off the radar. Even if he did change his name, there still would be a record. I figure he wasn't the type to stay out of trouble."

"And the cards? Did you figure out how her stepfather sent those from beyond the grave too?"

"He paid a service to have them sent to her for a very long time. I put a stopped to that too."

"Fantastic! I really appreciate it." He stole a sideways glance at her, hoping she wouldn't notice. "Want to go out tonight? I feel like celebrating. Besides. It's your birthday."

"Love to. You buying?"

**

* * *

You just know I had to add a chapter for Frank.**

**OK. I had to speculate about what Frank did, because TPTB alluded that he was someone of importance, even a doctor perhaps. If he was and in the dark as to the dealings of Fringe Division, it would be safe to make him a medical doctor. I didn't want to make him bad, just in case I needed to bring him back to **_**make dinner**_** for our Olivia later.**

**This chapter was particularly difficult to write while in keeping with the tone of the overall story. So much so, I drafted entire sections of it on paper. It's quite a strange sight with me writing on scraps of paper on the bus when everyone around me is typing on laptops or tapping away on their iPhone. A sure sign of changing technology.  
**

**Here's an interesting fact, anesthetic ether was first used in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.**


	6. Questions & Answers

_She could hear him wish her a happy birthday.  
She kept on smiling, because she never really had a reason to celebrate her birthday until now._

**The next scene takes place two days after Olivia and Frank's recent encounter.**

Frank could not stop thinking about Olivia Dunham. This new Olivia was so very different from his own Liv. But when his Olivia had left him so easily, it made him wonder whether or not there was ever anything between the two of them. That he may never know. Right now he wanted to get to know the other Olivia. He just didn't know how to approach her.

It was Saturday and it had been raining the whole time. So Frank was surprised to hear her voice over his intercom. "It's Olivia Dunham." He pressed the control that would admit her into his condo and let her into his life.

Frank Stanton lived on the 40th floor in a Manhatan condo complex. Olivia boarded the express elevator to reach his floor. Her ears were still ringing when she finally arrived.

He saw that she was drenched. "Agent Dunham."

"Hi. Thanks for seeing me."

"Please come in." He was in a tank top and short shorts; she had obviously interrupted his exercises. "Make yourself comfortable."

Olivia waited in the living room, while Frank disappeared up the second level to get changed. She took a look around. The room was sparsely furnished. There was a couch and a dinette near the kitchen. Save for a few photos of him and his Olivia, very little items adorned his place.

"Would you like some tea?" Frank came back wearing black slacks and a gray v-neck top. He handed her a towel and poured them each a cup of tea.

"What can I do for you?"

"You deserve some sort of an explanation." She paused to study his reaction to her words. His expression remained neutral. "All I can say is your Olivia and I exchanged places last year. I honestly don't know when we will ever switch back."

Frank could tell she was conflicted. "You didn't get authority to tell me any of this did you? This is not the real reason you came here."

Olivia hesitated in her response but in the end shook her head no.

"You have a million and one questions. Stay for dinner and I'll try to answer you the best I can." Without waiting for a response, Frank headed for the kitchen and put a pot on the stove.

Olivia couldn't help but smile. He was about to satisfy her curiosity. A doctor and a cook. "You need any help?"

"Nope I got it all covered." He shouted out from behind the fridge door,

At last, dinner was served. "Grilled salmon with penne."

"I'm impressed."

"Ever since I gave up my practice, I've developed an interest in the culinary arts."

"You are not married." There was no ring on his finger.

"Technically no." There was that twinkle in his eyes again.

"How did you two meet?"

"I was her Pilates instructor."

"You haven't lived here very long." She was observant.

"I moved out of her place, last year. Mrs. Dunham kept the lease. So there was no problem getting out of there."

"Where do you work?"

"I work in an ER. Occasionally, I volunteer to deliver aide to impoverished communities."

Frank watched as Olivia rub the back of her neck. "Here. Let me." He stood up and moved to the back of her seat and began to gently rub her back. "You carry quite a burden with you all the time."

"Is it that obvious?" Olivia could lose herself in his gentle ministrations. But she felt a little guilty usurping someone who she had no right to know.

She got up maybe a bit too quickly. "I should go. Thank you for dinner."

"Will I see you again?" Olivia nodded. She really didn't want to commit to anything.

It was still raining when Olivia got to her car, making it a slow trip getting home. Her situation did not improve when her front wheels got stuck in the mud close to home. She was going to have make a run for it.

Her mother was waiting anxiously at the door by the time she reached the house. She was worried as usual. She could hear her call out to her "Olivia!" She took the steps up the porch two at time to get out of the downpour as quick as she can.

Ellen made her strip off the wet clothes immediately and covered her with a towel until she got in the shower. Later when Mrs. Dunham went to check in on her, she found Olivia had fallen asleep on top of the covers. She pulled a throw blanket over her, taking care not to wake her.

Olivia knew she was dreaming. In her dream, she could see clusters of stars floating in a void and a chalkboard. When she got closer, what she thought were stars were really molecular representations of elements...hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, mercury, argon...Olivia wasn't sure how she knew what they were.

There was a distinct sound of chalk writing. She turned in time to see STRAWBERRY SUPREME being written on the board quite magically right in front of her. She followed that by picking up a piece of chalk and began to write on the board.

Walter Bishop just finished writing STRAWBERRY SUPREME on the chalkboard, when the next series of words appeared all on their own.

FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM

STRAWBERRIES

WILD CHERRIES

"Yes. I already know that, but in what quantity." He stepped back and stared at the writing in awe, until he backed into a bench that he hadn't noticed was there before. He turned around in time to steady a beaker-full of water. What got his attention was the reflection in the water.

Walter sat up instantly, when he awoke from his nap and whispered, "Olivia." He was still reeling from that last dream. Or was it a dream. He sneaked a peek out at the lab through the blinds. The only person he could see there was Olivia Dunham. She hadn't seen him.

Why did he have a vision of _her_? What did it mean?

Olivia awoke with a start. She could see that it was still night out. "Olivia?" She heard her mother call her. "What's wrong?" Apparently, she was a light sleeper. Maybe that was a genetic trait.

"I had a bad dream."

She heard her get up and then the sound of running water. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ellen brought her a glass of water. "I don't really remember what it was about." She took a sip.

Maybe so, Ellen had a feeling Olivia was going to have another sleepless night. She laid down next to Olivia and began to hum a soothing tune. Olivia closed her eyes, and all the wariness seemed to wash away. Whatever it was, it will have to be filed as an afterthought.


	7. Message Received

_Whatever [the dream] was, it will have to be filed as an afterthought._

It stopped snowing outside. That didn't stop Ellen Dunham from pacing inside. It didn't even slow her down one bit. "What's taking so long?"

Watching her walk back and forth for the umpteenth time was making Philip Broyles dizzy. "Sit down, Ellen. It's not helping anyone, if you wear a rut in the floor." He tried to assuage his old friend's concern for Olivia's current condition.

"She should not have agreed to this, Philip." The building anxiety was making Ellen worry again. "It's too dangerous."

"She understood the risks. Conventional vaccines would be ineffective. What if her body rejected treatment?" He went on to explain how it was for her own good.

"I know, but it scares me to see her like this. My Olivia never got sick."

Just then Dr. Seymour emerged from Olivia's room. "Mrs. Dunham." She gave Ellen a reassuring smile. "Olivia is responding well to the virus. Her system is already producing the antibodies needed to fight the flu. We hope to have results by tomorrow." The doctor excused herself and left to attend other patients.

Philip waited in the hall as Ellen went into Olivia's room. She donned a hospital smock before approaching Olivia's bed. She laid there in a upright position with her eyes closed, but Ellen could tell that she was not asleep.

"Mm." She could hear her say.

"What is it Livvy?" Ellen stroked her sweat soaked brow.

She tried to talk but couldn't suppress a coughing fit.

"Shh...Just rest. I'm right here." She gave Olivia's hand a comforting squeeze.

There would be a few more similar episodes before Olivia did eventually sleep.

Philip had gone home and returned the next day. When he entered Olivia's room, a nurse was finishing a check of her vitals. Ellen slept on a rocker by the window. Philip gently jostled her.

_Huh!_ Startled, Ellen instinctively eyed Olivia's bed, relieved to find her resting at last.

"She's still sleeping. Why don't you go for a walk. I'll keep an eye on her." Ellen conceded.

"Thank you Philip." She stretched out the kinks in her back before heading out the door.

~x~

Peter was about to store the specimen for Walter in the freezer. It was full of ice cream again. Normally it would not be an unusual sight, but it was the middle of winter. _Walter_.

"Hey Astrid, have you seen Walter?"

"I think he went to lie down in the office."

Peter seemed worried. Walter has been sleeping at the lab a lot these days. It's something he is going to have talk to him about for another time. Right now he had to go back to headquarters for a meeting with the review board.

Walter pulled out a photograph of Olivia from his sweater pocket. He saw how this work once on television. He had been trying for months without success to get back the vision he had of Olivia. He believed wholeheartedly that it was the true Olivia still on other side. He even stocked up on ice cream for an instant brain freeze. But nothing happened. He finally theorized for them to have a share dream, Olivia would have to be asleep too. Knowing her, she never sleeps long enough to even have an R.E.M. state to occur. This sudden revelation led him to resort to voodoo to achieve his goal. "Here goes nothing." He turned the photo around so he was looking at her upside down.

Unbeknownst to him, halfway across town, in her apartment Olivia Dunham was experiencing a headache so bad that she had to lie down.

~x~

Olivia saw nothing beyond the black void. When she turned around she instantly recognized where she was standing. She had been here before. The molecules were still suspended above her head and this time on the chalkboard a message was awaiting her reply.

WHERE ARE YOU, OLIVE?

She picked up a chalk to compose a response.

Walter watched as the words started to appear on board in front of him.

WALTER IS THAT YOU?

I AM ON THE OTHER SIDE.

I CAN'T USE MY ABILITIES TO COME HOME.

MUST SAVE BOTH WORLDS.

Walter then wrote a formulation on the board, hoping Olivia would recognize it. To Olivia it read as Cortexiphan.

I'LL FIND A WAY. I PROMISE.

All the while, Walter was unaware of another presence in the dreamscape. "What's goin' on? Where am I?" Walter turned to look at the speaker. It was Agent Dunham; the _other_ one. How did she...Oh yes. Walter realized he must have pulled her in the dream as well. From the way she was reacting, she doesn't seem too aware of himself or Olivia on the parallel plane.

~x~

On the third day in the clinic, Olivia opened her eyes. She smiled when the memory of the dream stayed with her. As her vision adjusted to the strange surroundings, she recalled where she was. Eying the pitcher of water on the nightstand, she licked parched lips. She was about to reach for the water when she noticed her mother resting in a nearby chair. Easing herself off the bed she quietly padded over to the sleeping figure to laid her head on her mother's lap. Ellen awoke to find her there. Olivia looked up with tears in her eyes. "Ready to go home?" She nodded. Then Ellen knelt down and drew her close for a tender embrace.


	8. One of Her

**I am going to make you laugh. I am going to make you cry. And if I did this right, I am going to make you feel for her.**

* * *

Olivia Dunham was a woman with needs, which was why she was grateful for the privacy her small office at the police station afforded her. It kept hidden from view what she did inside. The blinds that covered the windows never opening, never exposing what really goes on behind closed doors.

YEAR THREE

It's been far too long since the last time Olivia was intimate with someone and it was beginning to show. After 6 years, she very much desired the pleasures of a man or woman if the situation suited itself. All her brief encounters were sympathetic to her cause; they will not kiss and tell. There were rumours that she was the _othersider_, an enemy agent working undercover to unleash anarchy in utopia. She knew she wouldn't be making any friends. That didn't bother her. She preferred it that way.

It started out innocently. Ogling anyone who walked by. Exchanging flirts. She was a practiced player. Pretty soon she was checking out all the uniformed cops too. One time she even caught herself stealing looks at the clerk just because she liked the perfume the woman was wearing.

If the colleague in question was willing, she would invite him to her office. She knew she was being prudish but she decided to keep an extra suit at work just in case.

The distractions alone did nothing to fulfill her needs. She craved the company of intellectuals. So she jumped at the opportunity to know this world's Lucas Vogel when she had the chance. She literally fell into his arms when avoiding a falling bucket from overhead window washers. He lived in New York over here and held a Wall Street job. He still looked damn good in a suit. It comforted her to know that like her Lucas, he simply adored her. Little did she know he had a nasty habit in the bedroom.

When they were together, he would start snickering uncontrollably. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He chalked it up to a nervous response. He would make a lousy poker player. The first time was amusing. After a couple more encounters, Olivia finally found it too awkward to continue with Lucas. Clearly it wasn't going to work out. So it was back to the bullpen for her.

Sitting in her office, looking out the open door, Olivia set her site on Mathers. He was her new assistant. It didn't mattered that he was married. She couldn't help having impure thoughts about him too. Olivia redirected her focus back to the reports on her desks. She was so deep in concentration, she didn't hear the person that walked into her office.

The door closed behind him quietly. With practice and ease, he circled around her desk, turned her chair and bent down to kiss her on the lips. She stood as he straightened up, not letting the kiss end. When it did, Olivia, whose eyes glazed over his features, found herself in an embrace with the newcomer.

"Happy Birthday!" He said with a growl and whipped out a bouquet of white roses from behind his back.

"Frank! When did you get back?"

"Last night."

Olivia didn't realize how much she had missed Frank. This time she kissed him.

"Come on. We'll be late for dinner."

~x~

They went back to his place for dessert. Frank looked down at the woman in his arms. All evening she was peppering him with kisses. Olivia was never this uninhibited in the year they have known each other. It didn't seem right.

"Olivia." She kept on going. "Olivia stop. Just stop it." She looked at him in confusion.

"What's gotten into you? Are you using an aphrodisiac?

She smiled sheepishly and shook her head. "Nope. Just chocolate truffles."

Frank lifted up the covers and laid his head on her chest. Her heartbeat was racing. "Let me get you some tea to calm you down."

But before he could walk away, Olivia grabbed his wrist. "Wait. It will pass. It always does."

He absentmindedly brushed a loose strand of her hair aside. "You need to rest. You take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch tonight." She still kept a hold of his wrist. She didn't want him to go.

"Stay." He saw a need in her eyes and conceded to her request.

A gunshot echoed in the darkness.

Olivia awoke with a gasp. She bolted up and felt along her neck. Frank sat up next to her. Even in the dark, he could see the panic in her eyes. "What's wrong?" He pulled her closer.

"I...I don't know." She put her head on his shoulder. "Something awful happened. I wish I knew what it was."

The next day, when Olivia got home, Broyles was standing alone on the porch. Seeing him there felt like someone was walking over her grave. She had a feeling he was there to deliver some bad news.

Suddenly her mother's anguished cry prompted her to bolt upstairs. "Mom!

Olivia found her in the bedroom curled up on the floor, where she continued to wail. Olivia took her in her arms. A grief like that could only mean one thing...her alternate self was dead.

"Olivia..." She could feel her mother tighten her hold on her.

"Mom..." She returned the embrace.

"Don't...leave...me."

"I won't. I promise." At that moment. She could feel hot tears in her eyes. _Sorry for your lost_.

* * *

Olivia blinked away the tears. She looked up at the grey-coloured sky. Funny how it always seemed that way over here, She realized she had forgotten what the sun looked like after all this time. She felt numb. She couldn't feel her arms or legs. _What happened?_

Peter. He looked worried. _Why?_

He was talking, but Olivia couldn't make out what he was saying. Suddenly she felt tired. All she wanted to do now was close her eyes.

~x~

It was the worst day of Peter Bishop's life.

No one was supposed to get hurt. It was just a routine mission. A sniper was taking shots at people from a clock tower. He claimed to be seeing giant honey bees. Olivia had said there were no such things even on her world. Walter thought maybe he was hallucinating, but couldn't be sure what it could be without knowing the subject's history.

Along with the regular FBI support, they also called in HST to reason with the man before he could hurt someone else. The FBI managed to clear the surrounding streets.

It had happened so fast, Peter really had no time to react. He didn't know what spooked the gunman and certainly didn't know why he had singled out Olivia in their group. The next thing he saw was Olivia lying there bleeding on the pavement.

"_O-liv-ee-a!"_

The danger wasn't over yet. He had to wait agonizing minutes for their own snipers to neutralize this maniac to get to her. "Take him out!" He shouted into the walkie-talkie.

For once she was wearing the kevlar. But it didn't do any good. The shot nicked her in the neck. Peter tore off his shirt and tried to staunch her bleeding.

"Hold on. You are going to be OK." His eyes looked into hers. He couldn't tell if she was scared or just unaware of what happened. He felt her slipping away.

At the cemetery, Peter told a grieving Rachel the truth about her sister.

In this universe, Philip Broyles declared Olivia Dunham missing in action.

~x~

Olivia laid a comforting hand on her mother's hand. "Olivia. Read the letter again."

_Dear Mom,  
__If you are reading this, then I have died._  
_Be comforted in the knowledge that I lived life to the fullest.  
Sorry for not being with you in the last few years.  
My legacy now rest with my twin. That is how I have come to perceive her.  
Having lived her life, I feel like I have gained a soul. She is me.__  
Take good care of each other.  
Yours forever,  
Olivia_


	9. One of Her, Moving On

Olivia Dunham felt a burden that only loneliness could wrought. For someone who was accustomed to facing death on a daily basis, she could not bear watching people in mourning. Especially if that person was her _mother._ Ellen had suffered through the loss of not just one but two daughters in the span of a decade. She was truly alone in this universe. She was a good person who deserved happiness in life. _Why should it happen to her_? Olivia found it difficult to reach out to her, but she was going to give it her best shot.

Olivia never left her side. She didn't know how else to console her. This woman tended to handle despair alone. She sat with Ellen on the bed, while she looked off into the distance. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" She nodded. This acknowledgement was her way of letting Olivia know that she was OK.

Olivia prepared a light meal and then took a breakfast tray upstairs. The bowl of stew was still a bit hot, so she blew on it to help make it cool enough to eat. In that instant, Ellen switched her attention to Olivia. She smiled at a comforting thought. _At least she was here_. The same reminder of her melancholy was also a bright ray of hope. Somehow knowing that this Olivia will live on was reassuring. _So when did the young started to care for the old_? Musing over the juxtaposition, she accepted a spoonful of stew.

When she was done eating, Ellen couldn't help notice Olivia's bandaged hand. "Your hand!"

"It's nothing." Olivia winced at her mother's gentle touch.

The redness revealed itself under the loose dressing. "Let me see, Olivia." An angry red welt was already forming on the palm of the hand. "I'll get some aloe for that." She instinctively got out of bed and toddled off to the medicine cabinet.

They sat quietly as Ellen applied the soothing salve. She stopped in her task to look up at Olivia. She saw Olivia smiling but at the same time she noticed there were tears in her eyes too. She caressed her cheek. "Hey. No crying. If you start crying now, it's going to make me want to cry."

"Mom..." Olivia took a deep shaky breath before continuing, "...I felt her die." The dam finally broke, letting her tears flow freely.

"Olivia." Ellen pulled her into her arms. "I should have known how hard this must be for you." Together they found the solace they both needed in each other.

~x~

Olivia hadn't gone away for sometime. Now that she was in a different universe, things were about to change. This time fate or rather her mother and Frank intervened. Together they conspired to force her to take a much needed break from it all. Ellen packed her a bag while Frank put her on a plane. As an added bonus, Frank was coming along for the ride.

He didn't tell her where they were going though. No matter how many times she asked the question. _She hated surprises_.

"It's a surprise."

"Let's just say, we are going to spend time alone on a beach by the ocean."

Their plane landed in Honolulu, but Olivia had a feeling they were not going to stay on the islands. Too many tourists. Her suspicions were confirmed when Frank made her put on a blindfold as they boarded a cutter. _She definitely hated surprises_.

The warm ocean breeze felt good on her skin. Maybe Olivia can find it in her heart to forgive Frank just this once.

Stilled blindfolded, Olivia let Frank guide her off the boat. He had turned her around so they were walking along the beach. The sand felt warm under her feet.

"OK. See for yourself."

Olivia removed the blind and adjusted to the brightness of the sun. She took in the surroundings. She liked what she saw. The water was lapping on a secluded beach. She turned around and then looked up.

"A treehouse?" Maybe she should really tell Frank what she thought about roughing it in the bush. She looked at Frank with some reservation.

Frank on the other hand looked like a little kid in a candy store. She had never seen him this excited. "This place is great isn't it. I bought a time share in it. There's even a kitchen just off the main living quarters." The city girl in her wasn't easily impressed. "Come on."

As long as she was here, she might as well take a look. Up the winding steps to the top they went. It didn't seem so bad. Aside from missing modern amenities, it did look very inviting. Two hammocks hung in the middle of the large open space, one on top of the other. No walls. Olivia looked out from one side. They had a bird's eye view of their private little beach.

After dinner, as the sun was setting in the distance, Olivia was lulled to sleep by the gentle swaying of the hammock. The next morning, she woke up late. Frank was already puttering around his kitchen. She watched him chopping up a coconut.

"Hi."

Frank turned to see her standing beside him.

"Good morning sunshine."

Olivia leaned in for a kiss.

"Hmm. Why don't you go for a swim, while I finish up here."

Looking out at the water, Olivia smiled. "I think I will." She kissed him again before heading down to the beach.

An hour later, Frank began to worry when Olivia was nowhere to be seen. When he made his way to the beach, he could see her coming out of the water.

Something was wrong. Every step she took was too laborious. He had every reason to worry. Just as she almost got to shore, Olivia fell back into the water.

"Olivia!"

Frank jumped into the water and fished her out in a split second. He was in full doctor mode. He laid her on the beach giving her a quick examination.

Olivia barely heard Frank telling her to hang on before he raced back to the treehouse for medical supplies. She was all too aware of the acute stinging pain in her leg. That's all she could think about before succumbing to oblivion.

The chem set on the lab bench was set up for an experiment in progress. A brownish liquid flowed from one end to a glass receptacle on the other end. This time there was no writing on the chalkboard.

"Well. What do we have here?" A voice said from behind her.

Olivia turned around to face her double. She could feel heat emanating to her cheeks when she saw the other Olivia.

"Aren't you supposed to be..."

"...dead? Yeah. Don't you think I know that?"

Looking around, she approached the lab bench as well.

"I can't explain why I am here."

"So you remember how you died?"

"I took one in the neck. Right?"

Olivia nodded.

"Were you with Frank at the time?"

Olivia nodded again.

"It felt like for a moment I was..." The one Olivia began.

"...in two places at the same time." Finished the other one.

"Oh wow!"

Sitting in front of the board, they continue to talk over a bottle of whiskey.

"I remember being here before. So what is this place?"

"I think it's all comes from Walter's mind." She smirked. _Of course_.

"I've had some time to think."

"About what?"

"Mortal coil, destiny, fate...You know, the heavy stuff."

Olivia poured herself another shot of whiskey.

"Where did you find the booze? It's not something I expect Walter would keep around. It must be one of us."

The other Olivia raised her hand.

"Guilty as charged."

"But Frank said you didn't drink."

"Like you always said. Learn to like new things."

They clinked glasses.

"I've learned something about _us and our happiness_."

"Oh. What's that?"

"Well. I can't really tell you. I'm hoping you will discover for yourself without having to die like me."

That being said, she stood up and picked up a piece of chalk to leave her mark on the board.

"See you around..."

She watched on as the late Olivia Dunham vanished into the void.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked at Frank. He looked so serene sleeping next to her. They were both lying on the beach next to a fire. She reached over to stroke his face.

He stirred awake immediately at her touch. "Olivia. Hi. Feeling better?"

She nodded. "What happened?"

"You were stung by a jellyfish."

She stretched feeling invigorated.

"I'm hungry. What's for dinner?" Frank eased Olivia up and helped her to stand.

"I hope you like coconut. It was all I could find on this beach." Olivia hobbled alongside Frank.

"Why? What did you whip up?"

"Coconut fried rice, rabbit stew with coconut, and shrimp in coconut cream sauce." She let out a small moan but couldn't keep from laughing out loud. They made their way back to the treehouse in the same infectious giddy mood.

**

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**

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In my book they could live in a treehouse.

**In my research, I've learned all about the stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. I was immediately reminded of the Star Trek TNG S1 ep "Skin of Evil". And Data's line from S4 ep "Legacy": As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The inputs eventually are anticipated. And even "missed" when absent.**

**Hang in there. There is still a ways to go before this fic is over. Now it may just take a couple more weeks for the next chapter, as I am waiting to watch Frank and Olivia reunite in Season 3.**


	10. Paradise is Not Here

Happiness doesn't lasts forever.

For the first time in a long time, Olivia Dunham felt love like no other. Furthermore she wanted that love to last an eternity. For three years now, Frank had made her the happiest woman on Earth. _He didn't give her the moon, he gave her a diamond, an Ace of Diamond_. Except for when he was away on relief missions, they were virtually inseparable. Their island sanctuary became a second home. Every moment together was spent away from the hustle and bustle of a universe in decay. Olivia found she could put away the burdens she shoulders everyday to be with Frank. And that wasn't a bad thing. Then there were times when it felt like _a dream._

_The acrid smoke that filled the jungle reeked of charred metal and had the stench of burnt flesh. Wherever this place was it offered little to no visibility at all. Olivia coughed; the wretched vapours seemed to seep into her pores. She didn't know what she would find. When Olivia made it to a clearing, she covered her mouth in revulsion to the carnage in front of her, the remains of the cockpit and its dead pilot. Although she didn't know him, Olivia couldn't help shedding a tear._

_The rest of the helicopter laid a few meters away. The debris from this end laid crumpled like an aluminum can. Olivia rushed over to find its occupant missing._

"Olivia..."

_The voice was barely a whisper, but she likened it to a shout. What Olivia saw made her heart stop. Frank... He was still alive..._

_He was thrown clear from the crash, leaving his legs to lie in an unnatural position. With all her might Olivia hoisted Frank into her arms, mindful of his injuries. She managed to position his head against her chest._

"I...ahh...love you..."

_Time slowed to a stop after he said this. With these words Frank exhaled his last breath. Olivia held on even tighter and caressed his lifeless head to kiss him. _Wake up Baby. Please wake up. This can't be real.

"Ahhh!"

Frank heard Olivia's cry. Ascending the stairs to his bedroom, he pulled her into a protective embrace.

Olivia lowered her hands from her face, when she saw Frank there. She gripped him with shear desperation. "Oh Frank!"

"Hey..." Olivia was trembling in his arms. When her shaking did not cease, Frank became concerned. "Olivia...Hey. What's wrong?"

Olivia stayed quiet in his arms for a while longer. After all she had been through, she believed strongly in premonitions. _It's only a dream_ she kept repeating it to herself like a mantra. She rather hope to just let it be a nightmare and nothing more. "Bad dream?" She nodded.

Olivia managed to calmed down and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks Frank. I'm feeling better now."

Frank stroked her face and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Come on." She scooted over as he moved to lie down with her. She nestled in the crook of his neck as he stroked her back. The feelings of dread was slowly dissipating.

"What about your trip?"

"I can take a later flight." Olivia nodded.

Frank pulled up the long drive to drop Olivia off at her mother's house. He got out of the car to say goodbye to her. She didn't want to let him go, but she knew he had his duties. But she couldn't shake the fact during the ride over, she had a renewed feeling of uneasiness growing in the pit of her stomach. "Oh! I'll be back before you know it."

_Frank. You know me too well_.

"When I come home, I promise we'll spend a month at the treehouse."

"You mean our beach." He chuckled.

"Yes our beach." She smiled.

They shared a long lingering kiss before he climbed back into the car and drove off. She raised her hand to wave him goodbye.

~x~

"Stop! Stop the simulation!"

Peter Bishop repeated his command to make sure he was heard. The latest readings from the teleportation experiment was the reason behind his concern.

"The data suggests that there was an increased level of destabilization. If Walter's equations were correct, that could translate to a prominent fringe event on the other side."

Brandon believed Peter's assessment, but wanted to take a look at the data himself.

He scanned through all the anaysis on the screen with precision of a robot. "Noooo. It did something worst."

Peter stared at Brandon questioningly. He didn't understand what he was getting at.

"Look at the indicator. The test results show an actual destabilization did occurred for the other reality."

_That was not good. Not good at all_.

~x~

Olivia picked up the phone after the first ring.

"Hello?"

It was Broyles.

"It's about Frank isn't it?"

"_I'm afraid so. His plane disappeared halfway over the Atlantic. Thus far searchers have been unable to locate the wreckage. But I'm pretty sure the plane must have broke upon impact with the surface. And in these frigid waters... I'm sorry, Dunham. I don't see how there could be any survivors._"

"Thank you for calling, sir."

Olivia replaced the handset without taking her eyes off of it. Her mother watched her from the kitchen. She didn't have to be told to know something was not right. She put her arms around Olivia, who couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

**

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I am keeping track of all the characters. Still have to catch up with Walter, Peter, Astrid and all the fine folks on the other side, in the next few chapters.


	11. Believe It Or Not

It really was not a good time to travel.

The turbulence rocking the light DC10 airplane was frightening the passengers. They hadn't flown into any bad weather; there shouldn't even be any turbulence.

When the lights in the cabin went out, the din got even louder. Save for a few runner lights, it became as dark inside as it was outside. Frank unbuckled his seat belt to help the stewardess up off the floor so she could secure herself in the empty seat next to him.

"Thank you." she breathed a sigh of relief. "At least, we are still in the air. Right?"

_Yeah. At least we are still alive you mean._

A moment later, Frank noticed a hush suddenly descend upon the cabin. One by one, all the passengers collapsed as if a switched had been turned off. He looked over at the stewardess. She was out too. Miraculously, he was the last one to remain awake only to witness a sight too fantastic to be believable. They were being drawn into a bright light.

He shielded his eyes as the plane entered the phenomenon. His last thoughts were with Olivia.

_x_

Peter Bishop watched as Ella walked down the stairs in her lavender taffeta dress. He couldn't keep from smiling at her proudly. She looked very elegant and grown up.

"How do I look, sir?" She effected a little twirl at the bottom of the landing.

Something looked off. Peter saw why. He stepped closer and pulled the tissues that were sticking out from the top of her dress. Girls should not have to grow up too fast. "You look lovely, my dear." She was only twelve, but she was going to turn a few heads and break a few hearts at the dance.

"Ella Jae!" Rachel could be heard yelling from the bedroom upstairs.

"Uh oh." Ella covered her earlobes to hide the _borrowed_ earrings and hastily ducked into the kitchen to avoid her mother's wrath.

Peter laughed heartily. It was good to see this normal people _thing_. It made the house feel like a real family lived there. It didn't hurt that they were also Olivia's family either.

When Rachel told Peter that she had landed a job in Cambridge, he insisted that she and Ella move in with him and Walter. At first she argued that she didn't want to impose, but Peter finally convinced her that someone could look after Ella when she was at work. Besides he loved kids.

It worked out better than planned. With Rachel's permission, Ella got to spend more time at the lab with them. She was a genius in her own right when she picked Walter for a study partner. She excelled in the sciences and mathematics. The child seemed to grasp the basic principles of science more than most kids her age would. Every time she displayed comprehension of new concepts, Walter beamed like a proud papa.

It wasn't long before Rachel was a fixture at the lab too. On one such occasion, she brought Peter a box of Olivia's things. "I thought you might want some of these. I hadn't really sorted out which belong to my sister and which were the other..." Peter noticed that Rachel's eyes were downcast. She still would choke up when she talked about _her_. She didn't regard her as an impostor; she only remembered becoming very close to her during those last days together. She had that effect on people.

Seeing her obvious distress, Peter pulled her into a comforting embrace. "It's OK. I missed her too."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Peter. I...uh...I'm going to see if Ella is ready to go." She dabbed the tears from her eyes before leaving the lab office.

Alone at last, Peter started to go through the box of Olivia's things. There was an earpiece he recognized as a communications device from the other side. There was a drawing of a man. Looks like it could have been a boyfriend. Besides these items there were keepsakes one would expect her to take home one day. Such as photos with Rachel and Ella. She also had photos of him an Walter, Astrid, Broyles and even Gene. Odd. There didn't seem to be a photo of the two of them together.

Thinking about it now. Peter couldn't remember ever having a photo taken with either Olivia. That was going to change for sure when he saw her again.

He was still looking at her photo fondly when Walter walked in. "I liked her very much Peter. She was a great help to me." He said with a pat on his back. "But I know she was not my Olive."

Peter was surprised by Walter's sudden admission; it really took him off guard. "I have known for quite some time."

He really wasn't in the mood to talk to him about this right now. "Look. Walter." Peter tried to explain, but Walter cut him off.

"Please Peter. I need your help." Walter was growing agitated by the second. "I...I...I need go back. I _have to_ go back to bring Olive home. It's my fault she crossed over in the first place."

"Walter! You can't. You know that." Peter put his hands on his father's shoulders, maybe he can instill some calm into the man. "We are all working on a solution. We all want her back. You can't just cross over. Think of the consequences." Before Walter could respond, Peter's phone rang.

"Hello."

_x_

Peter found Broyles standing just outside the hospital. He had just finished talking on his phone and waved Peter over. "The plane suddenly appeared over the North Atlantic. It's crew and all 20 passengers on board were found unconscious. Fortunately it was on automatic and landed safely at JFK."

"Where did it come from?" They proceeded down a corridor to a special wing of the hospital.

"We have a mystery on our hands. That's just it. It's not from around here. Something tells me it's from the other side." Broyles pulled out a photograph from a file folder. "What do you make of this?" It was a picture of a couple, Olivia and a man. Peter immediately recognize the man from the drawing he saw earlier.

"That's her boyfriend." Peter volunteered matter-of-factly.

"These people just started to wake up an hour ago. The passenger manifest listed his name as Frank Stanton."

"Agent Broyles." Astrid caught up with them from behind. "Peter."

"What is it, Agent Farnsworth?"

"Sir. These people are not entirely here in our reality."

"What?" This came from Peter.

"Well. I was just at the nurse's station. Outwardly they appear normal, but we are unable to get any reliable vital signs."

Peter exchanged a glance with Broyles.

"Thanks Astrid."

_x_

The taste in Frank's mouth did nothing to settle the nausea inside of him. He looked around and noticed he was not alone; he was surrounded by the other passengers from his flight. They seem as disoriented as he felt. He had no idea how he got here, wherever here was.

Whilst doctors and nurses were checking everyone's health in his group, a man in casual black attire was walking over to his bed.

"Mr. Stanton? How are you feeling?"

He seemed familiar, but Frank couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

He flexed his extremities to be certain. "OK. I think."

"That's good. I would like to talk with you. If I may?" Frank nodded his assent.

"I'm Peter Bishop. You've heard of the other universe I gather." He paused to gauge Frank's reaction. He wore a confused expression. "What happened to you out there?"

"Er..." Frank still felt a fog was hanging over his head, but he tried hard to recall. "Uh...All I could remember was an intense bright light. Nothing else comes to mind."

_x_

Broyles was waiting patiently outside the ward. "Did you find out anything useful?"

Peter shook his head. "I'm sure of one thing. We caused that plane to cross over. I've examined the flight logs too. That plane disappeared right when we ran a test scenario at Massive Dynamic the other day."

_x_

Frank closed his eyes and inhaled an unsteady breath. It had been a surreal ordeal. A woman's scream broke his reverie. He looked over to see the stewardess freaking out uncontrollably.

He wanted to get up and calm her down, when he saw something even more shocking. He could literally see right through his arms.

"Ahhh!" Frank felt a tingling feeling beginning in his arms. Pretty soon the same sensation coursed through the rest of his body. So preoccupied with his own condition, he didn't notice when everyone else around him started fading out of existence as well.

* * *

**I couldn't just let poor Frank be gone forever. How could I? So there.**  
**The end of this ride is near.**


	12. Going Her Way

Ella waited patiently in the car, while Walter went to the store to buy more strawberry-flavoured red vines.

When Walter came out with his purchase, he looked up and then down the sidewalk. He held up a finger as if he was remembering something he had to do.

Ella barely had time to react when Walter started crossing the street onto oncoming traffic. "_Uncle Walter!_" She managed to grab him in time before a truck could hit him. "Are you OK?"

"I don't know." Walter suddenly looked very helpless.

_x_

Nina Sharp looked out her office window at her view of New York City.

"Sorry about what happened to Walter. Are you sure you want to check him into a nursing home?"

Peter joined her by the window. "I don't know what else to do." He paused for a moment. "At least he's not in St. Claire."

Nina nodded and turned back to the report on her desk.

"The the findings arrive at the same conclusion. It's impossible to stabilize a rift." Peter nodded.

"But Olivia may be able to." Peter nodded again.

"Walter spent the last few years working on a variation of Cortexiphan for her, but it's still untested."

"Why don't you ask your _father_ for help?"

Peter stare back at Nina to make sure she was being serious with him.

_x_

Peter adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, before inserting a sheet of paper into the Selectric.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE, SON.  
HOW ARE THINGS ON YOUR SIDE?

PEACHY.  
HOW 'BOUT YOURS?

BETTER.  
WITH OLIVIA'S HELP,  
WE CAN EVEN REVERSE THE EFFECTS OF QUARANTINE.

SHE'S GOT A HEALING TOUCH.  
THAT'S NEW.

WONDERFUL ISN'T IT?

I WANT TO SEE HER.

A MEETING CAN BE ARRANGED.  
DO YOU POSSESS HOLOGRAM TECHNOLOGY?

I DON'T KNOW.

WE'LL TRANSMIT PLANS IN THE NEXT TIME SYNC.  
SHE'S LOST A FRIEND HERE, BUT OTHERWISE OK.

WALTER HERE HAS WORKED OUT A WAY FOR HER TO OPEN A GATE.  
WE ARE TESTING IT.

OH. HOW IS THAT OLD FART?

MY FATHER IS NOT DOING SO WELL.

That was an understatement. Walter was deteriorating so rapidy, Peter was beginning to wonder if the reasons Bell had for removing pieces of his brain was for purely selfish purposes.

Peter paused to insert a fresh sheet of paper into the typewriter.

LET ME KNOW WHEN I CAN SEE HER?

THAT'S A PROMISE.

THANKS DAD.

YOU CALLED ME DAD?

I SUPPOSE I DID.

_x_

SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE:

Olivia propped her head up on an elbow, flipping through Walter's diary. The formulas are all there, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it out.

The Observer called her a gatekeeper. What does that mean?

Her thoughts drifted back to Peter. Since seeing him sort of face to face, Olivia had been wondering a what if. What would it have been like with him around? She barely remembered him as it was. What was he to her anyway; a confidante, a friend, a partner? That's it really. But she can't deny that once there had been something a little more.

She needed help.

"The Secretary will see you now." said Major Martin.

Olivia made her request to Walter Bishop clear and concise.

"We'll begin synthesizing the drug immediately. This is good news." The man was elated that finally there may be a way to bring his son home.

_x_

Peter peeked into Nina's office.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes Peter." Nina waved him inside.

While Peter sat in one of the two cushy chairs, Nina stood and leaned back on her desk.

"We have made a breakthrough. In principle, it's similar to data transmissions between our two worlds. If we can send messages back and forth, theoretically we can transmit atomically any object."

As science fiction as it sounded, Peter was optimistic about it. This could actually work. "So. What will we send first?"

"A phone." She showed him a regular looking cellular phone.

_x_

"Ready, Olivia?" The Secretary beamed at her, trying not to sound like a nervous father waiting for the birth of a newborn son. She nodded her readiness.

"We must act quickly. We only have a small window of opportunity. You have by the next synchronize cycle to bring him over, 12 hours from now. Seeing how this is untested, it can possibly work one way with Peter."

_x_

Just like that Peter was here, in all his glory. He came over through her gate, it was a bubble really.

"Come on. I'll show you around."

They stopped by her mother's house. There a three-legged chocolate lab greeted them.

He barked excitedly, nuzzling Olivia's hand, and then took a small biscuit Olivia offered him, before bounding toward Peter.

Olivia saw how the dog took to Peter. "Looks like you've made a friend."

The dog's bark seemed to echo Olivia's sentiment. "Why don't you run with him. He could use the exercise."

Peter liked the sound of that. It's been a while since he had a pet. "Come here, boy."

Olivia waited for them by the pond, where white rose petals floated gently on the water. She followed the trail back to a frail old man standing by the water's edge.

Despite the years on his visage, Olivia immediately recognized him. "Frank?"

The man squinted up at her. "Well. Hello Sunshine."

He was a whole lot older now, but the how didn't matter anymore.

He caressed her smooth cheeks with his weathered hands. She held his hands close to her face. Tears brimming to her eyes.

"Do you still remember our beach, my dear?"

Suddenly the scene around them shimmer to their island paradise, with Frank looking as he did all those years ago.

"Keep this with you as you keep us with you." She could hear him say.

"Us?"

"Yeah." Olivia turned to see her twin strolling towards them.

She watched as the other Olivia settled beside Frank.

"We are now part of you."

Back at the pond, old Frank held out a single white rose, which Olivia accepted it. She leaned in to kissed him.

"Farewell my sweet."

"Have nice life."

He became young once more and walked off into the mist with his Olivia hand in hand.

"Hey."

Peter came back with the dog.

"Hey." She wiped the sweat from his face with a tissue. She even liked the little bushy moustache that he had growing on his face.

"You got a nice dog there. What do you call him?"

She couldn't resist smiling before answering him. "Pete."

"Seriously?" The look he gave her was priceless.

"Yeah. He wouldn't answer to anything else." Olivia nodded. Pretty soon she started to laugh at his expense. He laughed too. Putting his arms around her shoulder, they laughed all the way back to the house.

THE END

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**That's it folks. As I said, it would wind itself around "The Promise" a bit before the end. Thank you for reading. Every now and again, I got an alert that kept this going.**

**Well. I fantasized a future where war was averted and everyone was at peace and achieving a common goal: to make Olivia happy no matter where she was. Thank goodness Frank turned out on the show pretty much the way I imagined.**

**At some point, Mork & Mindy was my inspiration. In the episodes The Incredible Shrinking Mork / Mork in Wonderland, Mork shrinks and ends up in an alternate universe, where he meets Mandy (Mindy's alternate). It's his words to Orson that resonated for me. "I realized that love can extend beyond universes, even beyond death."**

**I know it will never be like this on the show, but I can always try to think up more of this type of scenarios if you like. So please review and let me know what you think.**


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